A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material generally has, on at least one side of its support, a layer of a hydrophilic polymer such as gelatin, a binder for silver halide grains. Such a hydrophilic layer is liable to be dimensionally changed according to changes in temperature and humidity.
The light-sensitive material's dimensional change attributable to the elongation or shrinkage of its hydrophilic polymer layer is a very serious problem to graphic arts light-sensitive materials which are required to achieve halftone image and precision line drawing reproductions for multicolor printing.
Japanese Patent Examined Publication Nos. 4272/I964, 702/1964, 13482/1968 and 5331/1970; U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,763,625, 2,772,166, 2,852,386, 2,853,457, 3,397,988, 3,411,911 and 3,411,912 describe the incorporation of a polymer latex into a hydrophilic polymer layer to obtain a photographic light-sensitive material which is scarcely dimensionally changed. i.e., excellent in the dimensional stability.
However, the incorporation of a polymer latex into the hydrophilic polymer layer of a light-sensitive material often adversely affects the layer's physical strength, wear resistance and adherence to its support.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,459,790, 3,488,708, 3,554,987, 3,700,456 and 3,939,130: and British Patent No. 1,492,701 describe using in the hydrophilic polymer layer a polymer having an active methylene group capable of reacting with an agent for hardening gelatin in order to get rid of the adverse effect by the above polymer latex. These methods enable to obtain a good dimensional stability to some extent without impairing the layer's physical strength and wear resistance in a developer solution, but are still insufficient to meet the demand for multicolor image and precision line drawing reproductions in the printing field.
Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter called Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) No. 3627/1985 discloses a dimensional stability improving technique to use a polyester film support with its both sides laminated with a polyolefin. The techniques, however, is still not sufficient for practical use.
For the dimensional stability improvement, Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication No. 230035/1964 proposes a drying process in which a hydrophilic polymer coat layer is brought into contact for a period of more than 5 seconds and less than one minute with air having a relative humidity of 25% to 5% within 5 minutes after the point of time when the average surface temperature of the layer is increased up to a temperature 1.degree. C. lower than the average temperature of the air for drying. The proposed drying process is effective in dimensional stability improvement, but the drying under such a low relative humidity air condition is liable to cause the layer to crack and, if a silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is packed in a container under such the air condition, may possibly deteriorate its dimensional stability in time.